


Promise of Tomorrow

by Karla_Writes



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Middle School, Fluff, M/M, Smitten Sousuke, SouMako - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-09
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-12 10:33:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2106426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karla_Writes/pseuds/Karla_Writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The memories of them being paired up for assignments cropped up. Sousuke had always been too infuriatingly nervous to utter a single word to the boy he admired from afar. </p>
<p>Or,</p>
<p>The one where Sousuke is smitten and writes poems for Makoto, all without the other knowing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise of Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't help myself. This fic comes from [THIS](http://strategicshouta.tumblr.com/post/93922222132/soumako-middle-school-au-where-sousuke-has-a-huge) lovely Tumblr prompt. 
> 
> Now, I tried to keep it as close as the OP's prompt, but these boys went off on their own direction. Boys are around 13 years-old. 
> 
> Also posted on my tumblr: [orcaliciousity](http://orcaliciousity.tumblr.com/post/94232664260/promise-of-tomorrow)
> 
> *UnBeta'd, most likely OOC, and bad attempt at poetry*

The chattering around him blurred into an annoying hum. He ignored those who walked by his desk, and even pretended as if he hadn’t heard Rin calling him. The red-haired boy huffed in exasperation and followed the other students out of the classroom. Even his carefully packed lunch lay undisturbed beside his backpack. 

Sousuke frowned down at the neatly stacked sheets of paper on his desk, tapping his pen against the wooden surface. He glanced to his right, heart picking up rhythm, and caught sight of Makoto Tachibana. The brunette was, as usual, surrounded by his friends. Sousuke’s mouth twisted in displeasure. 

Why where they still here?

Everyday at lunch time, the little group would go down to the cafeteria to buy their lunch, leaving the brunette alone at his desk. Today, they seemed to be engrossed in some sort of secretive conversation. The short blond was whispering conspiratorially, tugging on the arm of the glasses-wearing boy. The raven, who was just a little too close to the brunette for Sousuke’s liking, was, surprisingly, staring at him. Sousuke looked away, embarrassed at being caught looking at the group. A few seconds ticked by and Sousuke took the chance to glance over once more. 

“No, really, it’s alright. If you don’t hurry they’ll run out of the bread you like, Nagisa.” Sousuke watched, and heard, as Makoto hurried his friends off to the cafeteria. The other three looked uneasy, for whatever reason, but relented. There was a bit more whispering on behalf of the blond, before he stood and dragged the other two boys with him, finally leaving Makoto alone. 

Sousuke felt his skin prickle and a certain warmness around his neck when wary green eyes focused on him. The brunette dropped his gaze immediately, and Sousuke had to bite back a groan of disappointment. Clenching his jaw, Sousuke stared down at the stack of papers on his desk, and flipped through them until he found the one containing what he had written the night before. 

_The color of trees in your eyes,_

_Sparkling like the stars at night._

_A smile that makes me soar the skies;_

_Beautiful, kind, and bright._

No. No, there was no way he could possibly hand this over to Makoto. Heat rose on Sousuke’s cheeks and his hands began to sweat. A tight knot settled itself in his stomach, and his throat felt as if it would crack. Using every once of bravery he still possessed, which wasn’t much, Sousuke peeked over at the brunette. 

Makoto had his head down, staring intently at his bento. All Sousuke had to do was get up, swallow his pride, and talk with the other boy. He had to do it now before the other students returned. If he didn’t do it now he would have to slip the new poem he’d written to Makoto through the boy’s locker again, letting some anonymous, non-existent, person take credit for his words. 

Perhaps, Makoto was already infatuated with someone he believed was writing him those poems. Sousuke’s mouth twitched in irritation at his own thought. He had to act now. 

Sousuke stood, the chair scraping loudly against the floor, and grabbed the sheet of paper with his neatest handwriting. His heart hammered against his chest, so loudly that Sousuke was sure it would echo throughout the classroom. He turned and tried to quiet the little warning voice inside his head, each step toward Makoto’s desk increasing the volume of the voice. 

When he finally reached the boy’s desk he was met with wide, unmistakably frightened, eyes. Makoto had dropped his chopsticks and was pressing himself back against his seat, almost as if he wanted to put more distance between them. Sousuke blinked, taken aback by the boy’s reaction, his own body tingling with a mixture of adrenaline and uncertainty. 

Then he heard the familiar buzzing of voices. The students were coming back from acquiring their respective lunches. The voices grew louder and the sounds of footsteps joined them. In the few seconds they had alone together, and without giving it much thought, Sousuke laid the poem next to Makoto’s bento. The boy flinched, causing Sousuke to frown in confusion before he turned on his heel and returned to his desk just as his classmates walked through the door. 

Sousuke once again ignored his lunch and slumped against his desk. The nervousness was eating him inside and it felt as though there was a horde of butterflies in his stomach. Part of him was desperate to look back and see Makoto’s reaction to finding out that he was the one who had been slipping poems into his locker since last month. Another part, and Sousuke couldn’t figure out if it was the larger part, wished the ground would swallow him whole. 

“Finally did it, huh?” It was more a statement than question, but Sousuke nodded nonetheless. Rin was too perceptive for his own good. He heard the boy bring a chair around his desk and settle down next to him. In the background he also heard Makoto’s friends return, but didn’t dare glance over at them. 

“I don’t know whose face is redder, yours or his.” Rin chuckled, eyeing Sousuke playfully. 

Sousuke straightened up, the abrupt move causing Rin to nearly drop his lunch. 

“Does he look upset?” Sousuke asked, and anxiously waited for the answer as he watched Rin peek over at the other end of the room. 

“No, not really. He’s blushing like mad, but I think he’s smiling.” Rin’s observations allowed Sousuke to gulp in a much needed breath of relief. After a pause Rin spoke again.

“Of course, it could just be caused by something else entirely.” Rin smirked.

“Shut up, Rin.” It came out without any real bite. Rin laughed, patting Sousuke on the shoulder.

…

“Sousuke-kun.” The soft voice caught him completely by surprise. Sousuke slammed his locker shut and quickly spun around to face the brunette. The boy’s cheeks were pink and his hands were gripping the straps of his backpack. The warm glow of the evening sun seeped in through the windows and reflected beautifully in the boy’s green eyes. 

“You, um, you were the one who wrote all of them?” The timid question hung in the space between them for a beat of silence. 

Blushing, Sousuke replied earnestly, “I did.” 

A nervous tingle shot up Sousuke’s back as he watched the boy, unsure of where the conversation was going. Sousuke willed his mouth to work, for any words to fill the silence, but all he could do was stare at Makoto’s impossibly green eyes.

“Thank you. They were very beautiful.” Sousuke’s lips stretched into a smile at Makoto’s whispered words.

“I like you.” 

The words fell out of Sousuke’s lips in a tumble, awkward and laced with longing. 

“I always thought you didn’t.” Makoto mumbled, eyes everywhere but on Sousuke. The memories of them being paired up for assignments cropped up. Sousuke had always been too infuriatingly nervous to utter a single word to the boy he admired from afar. They’d do their work in silence, Sousuke only grunting a yes or no for anything Makoto asked him. It made sense now why Makoto had been so wary of him earlier. Rin had even told him once that his facial expressions sometimes spoke the wrong things about him, and that his scowl had most of their classmates scared of him. 

“No, no, I’ve liked you for--” Before his mouth could run off again, Sousuke was shocked to feel delicate lips against his burning cheek. 

“Thank you, Sousuke-kun.” The soft whisper of words after the innocent kiss melted Sousuke’s heart. 

Seconds later, the voices of their respective friends floated down the hallway. Makoto smiled, a gentle quirk of the lips that caused his eyes to soften and the promise of tomorrow to swell in Sousuke’s heart. 

For now this was enough. 

For now this was all he needed to write countless of more poems.

Sousuke waved at Makoto as he left with his group of friends, who openly gawked at the scene. Rin was soon at his side, shaking his head in amusement. 

“All worked out, I see.” Sousuke nodded, unable to wipe the smile off his face. 

They walked home in comfortable silence, Sousuke’s mind preoccupied with forming the words of his next poem for, and inspired by, Makoto Tachibana.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Comments are always welcomed and appreciated. :)


End file.
